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Tag: Muhammadu Buhari

  • Buhari group to Nigerians: don’t toy with your destiny

    Lagos State Chapter of the Buhari Support Group Centre has challenged Nigerians not to toy with their destinies during the 2019 general elections.

    In a press conference at the weekend in Yaba, Lagos, the group pointed out that all the current administration has done enough to be trusted for another four years.

    Chairman, Yaba Local Government, Omiyale Kayode, said the All Progressives Congress (APC) remains the only option for good success in the land.

    According to him: “For us to enjoy this nation, everybody has to be carried along, and not just the politicians. That is why we are here today, to involve the public.

    “We have seen the way President Buhari has fought corruption. This is the first time we have had a President tackle corruption in the manner that he has and the crowd here tells me that Nigerians are in support of him.

    The treasurer, Kamaldeen Isa-Olu, noted President Buhari has been supportive to the south-west, and it is wise to return the gesture to him, by returning him to power.

    “Buhari has been specifically good to us in Lagos State and the South-West. The on-going construction in the Lagos/Ibadan expressway is a proof to that fact. There is a railway construction, connecting Lagos to Ibadan.

    “The fight against corruption, which is one of his cardinal point, will be re-invigorated if he gets re-elected

    Isa-Oluu advised voters to “shine their eyes, and think of what Buhari has done so far, and their future ahead, when casting their votes on February 16.”

    Read Also: COSEG urges Yoruba to vote for Buhari

    For Tutu Ogundele, the Lagos State co-ordinator, BSGC, the future and resources of Nigeria is at stake in the elections.

    “We encourage Lagosians and Nigerians generally to vote President Muhammadu Buhari once again in 2019, so that our resources will not go down the drain

    “We must not mortgage our conscience; we should remember our children and future when we are voting.

    Lagos West divisional co-ordinator, Bola Olabisi advised youths to shun violence and thuggery and embrace peace, going to the election. He noted that “violence brings nothing. We should be in order, and ensure that all votes count.”

  • Updated: Buhari suspends Onnoghen

    The Federal Government on Friday suspended the embattled Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Walter Onnoghen following the order of Code of Conduct Tribunal of January 23rd.

    To replace him, President Muhammadu Buhari swore in the acting CJN in the person of Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed from Bauchi State.

    According to the President, the suspension stands till the conclusion of his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

    Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed was conveyed to the Presidential Villa at about 4:30pm in a black Mercedes Benz C240 with number plate GWA: 900FA.

    President Buhari, at the short ceremony, said: “A short while ago, I was served with an Order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal issued on Wednesday 23rd January 2019, directing the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Walter Nkanu Samuel Onnoghen from office pending final determination of the cases against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal and several other fora relating to his alleged breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers.

    “The nation has been gripped by the tragic realities of no less a personality than the Chief Justice of Nigeria himself becoming the accused person in a corruption trial since details of the petition against him by a Civil Society Organization first became public about a fortnight ago.

    “Although the allegations in the petition are grievous enough in themselves, the security agencies have since then traced other suspicious transactions running into millions of dollars to the CJN’s personal accounts, all undeclared or improperly declared as required by law.

    “Perhaps more worrisome is the Chief Justice of Nigeria’s own written admission to the charges that he indeed failed to follow the spirit and letter of the law in declaring his assets, citing ’’mistake’’ and ’’forgetfulness’’ which are totally unknown to our laws as defences in the circumstances of his case.

    “One expected that with his moral authority so wounded, by these serious charges of corruption, more so by his own written admission, Mr. Justice Walter Onnoghen would have acted swiftly to spare our Judicial Arm further disrepute by removing himself from superintending over it while his trial lasted.

    “Unfortunately, he has not done so. Instead, the nation has been treated to the sordid spectacle of a judicial game of wits in which the Chief Justice of Nigeria and his legal team have made nonsense of the efforts of the Code of Conduct Tribunal to hear the allegation on merit and conclude the trial as quickly as possible considering the nature of the times in which we live.

    “Whether deliberately or inadvertently, we have all seen the full weight of the Chief Justice of Nigeria descend on the tender head of one of the organs of justice under his control.

    “There is simply no way the officers of that court, from the Chairman to the bailiffs, can pretend to be unaffected by the influence of the leader of the Judiciary.

    “Not only the trial court but others have been put on the spot. Practically every other day since his trial commenced, the nation has witnessed various courts granting orders and counter-orders in favour of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, all of them characterised by an unholy alacrity between the time of filing, hearing and delivery of judgment in same.” he said

    He went on: “The real effect has been a stalling of the trial of Justice Onnoghen, helped along by lawyers who insist that these orders, whether right or wrong are technically valid, and must be obeyed till an appellate Court says otherwise. No doubt, that it is the proper interpretation, but is it the right disposition for our nation?

    “Nigeria is a constitutional democracy and no one must be, or be seen to be, above the law. Unfortunately, the drama around the trial of the Chief Justice of Nigeria has challenged that pillar of justice in the perception of the ordinary man on the street. For it is certain that no ordinary Nigerian can get the swift and special treatment Justice Onnoghen has enjoyed from his subordinates and privies in our Judicature.

    “In the midst of all these distracting events, the essential question of whether the accused CJN actually has a case to answer has been lost in the squabble over the form and nature of his trial. This should not be so.

    “If Justice cannot be done and clearly seen to be done, society itself is at risk of the most unimaginable chaos. As a Government, we cannot stand by wailing and wringing our hands helplessly but give our full backing and support to those brave elements within the Judiciary who act forthrightly, irrespective of who is involved.

    “As you are all aware, the fight against corruption is one of the tripods of policies promised to Nigerians by this administration. Needless to say that it is an existential Policy which must be given adequate attention and commitment by all the three arms of government. The efforts of the Executive will amount to nothing without the cooperation of the Legislature and especially the Judiciary.

    “It is no secret that this government is dissatisfied with the alarming rate in which the Supreme Court of Nigeria under the oversight of Justice Walter Onnoghen has serially set free, persons accused of the most dire acts of corruption, often on mere technicalities, and after quite a number of them have been convicted by the trial and appellate courts.

    Read Also: Onnoghen: Buhari orchestrating destruction of democracy, says Secondus

    “Since there is nothing the Executive Arm can do after the apex court of the land has spoken on any matter, several of these individuals walk free among us today, enjoying what are clearly the proceeds of the corruption which for so long has defeated the efforts of this nation to develop and prosper.

    “It is against this background that I have received the Order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal directing me to suspend the Chief Justice pending final determination of the cases against him.

    “It also explains why I am not only complying immediately, but with some degree of relief for the battered sensibilities of ordinary Nigerians whose patience must have become severely over-taxed by these anomalies.

    “In line with this administration’s avowed respect for the Rule of Law, I have wholeheartedly obeyed the Order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal dated 23rd January 2019.

    “Accordingly, I hereby suspend the Honourable Mr. Justice Walter Nkanu Samuel Onnoghen, GCON as the Chief Justice of Nigeria pending final determination of the case against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

    “In further compliance with the same Order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, I hereby invite Honourable Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed JSC, being the next most Senior Justice in the Supreme Court, to come forward to take the Judicial Oath as Chief Justice of Nigeria in an Acting Capacity.

    “Fellow Nigerians, we can only stand a chance to win the fight against Corruption, and position our dear nation for accelerated development when we stand together to contend against it,” he stated.

  • Buhari’s campaign train moves to South East

    President Muhammadu Buhari and members of the Presidential Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday departed Abuja for Anambra and Enugu states in continuation of the nationwide re-election campaign.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the president would pay a courtesy visit to the Obi of Onitsha, in Anambra, inaugurate the Zik Mausoleum at the commercial city and later address APC rally in the state.

    The Buhari administration completed the Zik Mausoleum in October 2018 after successive governments abandoned the project for over 20 years.

    Read Also: Buhari renews pledge to boost economy, fight graft

    NAN reports that the president and members of the campaign team would later move to Enugu to launch the re-election bid and also deliver the `Next Level’ messages to the people of Enugu state.

    While in Enugu, Buhari is expected to inaugurate the Post-Graduate Centre of Excellence built by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and donated to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

    The APC campaign train had on Wednesday visited Sokoto and Kebbi states where Buhari pledged to consolidate on the achievements of his administration in the areas of security, economy and fighting corruption.

  • Onnoghen: Buhari destroying democracy – Secondus

    The National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus has accused the Federal Government of orchestrating the destruction of the nation’s democracy.

    This, according to the party chair, was part of the “nefarious” agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to rig the February presidential election.

    Secondus, who was reacting to the arraignment of the Justice Onnoghen before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, said the President and his team were arm twisting the Tribunal to force the CJN out of office.

    In a statement Wednesday by his media aide, Ike Abonyi, the PDP chair said the APC was afraid an independent judiciary will obstruct its rigging plan.

    He described calls by the government on the CJN to vacate his seat as provocative, saying it has left no one, including the global democracies, in doubt that indeed democratic rule has been suspended in Nigeria to pave way for dictatorship.

    “The blackmail, the frame up and the orchestration of fictitious figures in the CJN’s bank accounts by the government and their agents are all deliberate ploy to destroy the envious career of a man because of desperation for power

    “What they are trying to do is not only illegal but a recipe for anarchy and breakdown of rule of law and must be vehemently resisted,” the party chair said.

    Read Also: PDP, Secondus knock Buhari

    Secondus said it was very glaring that President Buhari and his ruling APC have concluded plans to plunge the country into a major crisis in frustration for their apparent inevitable rejection by Nigerians.

    He noted trying to force the head of an arm of government out of office without following the clearly laid down procedures amounted to breach of rules and an invitation to major national crisis.

    The party chair urged the CJN to disregard calls for his resignation and remain in office as the constitution guiding the operations of government is very clear on how he can be removed.

    “President Buhari’s inclination to non-democratic behavour is now apparent as he moves to muscle all other arms of government as well as ingredients of democracy”, he added.

    The main opposition party chairman directed all lovers of democracy and rule of law in the country to stand up to be countered, saying it’s now obvious that the APC administration is determined to wreck the nation’s democracy all because it’s being rejected by Nigerians.

    “The agenda is not hidden, which is to truncate democracy rather than face the Nigerian electorate,” Secondus said.

    “After the 2016 bizarre arrest and harassment of some Judges and Justices of the Supreme Court and the August 8, 2018 failed coup d’état on the National Assembly, including the sponsored theft of the Senate mace, added to the list, it’s now very clear that democratic norms have taken flight in the country under President Buhari,” he added.

    He regretted Buhari could bare his fangs on the judiciary as part of the intimidation agenda of the regime preparatory to the rigging of the 2019 presidential election.

  • Ekere insists on financial autonomy for councils

    All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom, Obong Nsima Ekere, has reaffirmed his commitment to financial autonomy for the third tier of government in the state.

    Ekere, who is also the managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), restated his commitment to financial autonomy for councils during his campaign rally in Itu and Ibiono Ibom local government areas of the state.

    He also stated he would resuscitate ailing industries, infrastructural development, safeguard the state, and pay bursaries to students.

    At the Ibiono Ibom rally at Okoita, Ekere, a former deputy governor of Akwa Ibom state lamented that local government despite being the third tier of government have been starved of funds.

    According to him, this has led to underdevelopment of the grassroots.

    “The Local Government is the third tier of the government. we want it to be independent so that people at the grassroots can feel the impact of good governance which an APC government in this state will offer.

    ”Ibiono Ibom is very large, but because of paucity of funds, nothing is being done here and in other Local Government Areas,” he stated.

    He regretted the area has lagged behind developmentally and promised to make Ibiono Ibom one of the development Areas under his administration.

    Ekere called on the people of Ibiono Ibom to vote enmasse for all candidates of the APC in the elections.

    In Itu Local Government Area, where the gubernatorial candidate addressed the rally at Primary School, Mbak Atai, he promised to bring permanent peace to tackling the protracted boundary clashes between communities in Itu local government area and neighbouring communities in Cross River State.

    He called on them to keep faith in the party

    The APC governorship flagbearer promised to revive the moribund Quality Ceramics Limited which has been in coma since 1992.

    Canvassing votes for President Muhammadu Buhari, Ekere said the federal government has done well Itu and Ibiono Ibom with the construction of the Calabar – Itu federal highway.

  • ‘Political miscalculation could cause Igbo Presidency in 2023’

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State Dozie Ikedife (Jnr) has called on residents of the southeast to vote massively for President Muhammadu Buhari in the February 16 elections.

    He asked them to be realistic enough to understand the dynamics of politics, saying any miscalculation can cause them presidency come 2023.

    Addressing newsmen ahead of President Buhari’s visit to the state on Thursday, Ikedife, a deputy governorship candidate in the 2017 election, said the visit was another opportunity to prove Buhari’s care for the Igbo.

    He insisted supporting Mr. President’s second term bid would make the Igbo stand better chance to produce the next President of Nigeria in 2023.

    “There are lots of reasons why Igbo should support Buhari complete his eight years tenure, including reconstruction of major federal roads in the South East, on-going construction of 2nd Niger Bridge and just completed late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe’s tomb,” he said.

    Describing Igbo as a sect with native and applied intelligence, wisdom of a practical kind, the APC chieftain however regretted that some politicians in the region have refused to appreciate certain basic political permutation.

    Read Also: Presidency to Obasanjo: get well soon

    He said: “It baffles me why some politicians from the South East geo-political zone cannot understand the simple calculation that to negotiate for Igbo presidency under Buhari’s remaining four years is shorter than waiting for another eight years of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s promise which appears unrealistic.

    “We are all campaigning and by God’s grace we will return Buhari to Aso Rock to complete his eight-year tenure.

    “He has been going round the country telling Nigerians lots of things he’s done within his first tenure.

    “He has revamped the agricultural sector, the aviation industry with new more airports in place, paid pensioners their arrears, empowered the youths, other categories of the population and even resolved that school children are fed.

    “Those are landmark achievement in addition to his tireless fight against corruption.”

  • Saraki, Marafa disagree over N2.4bn fuel subsidy daily payment

    Senate President Bukola Saraki and Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources Senator Kabiru Marafa, on Wednesday disagreed over the alleged daily payment of N2.4 billion to subsidise fuel in the country

    Marafa told reporters in Abuja that the country does not pay up to N2.4bn to subsidise fuel daily as claimed by Saraki

    The Senate President had claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was spending N2.4bn to subsidize 50million litres every day.

    Saraki at a programme aired on African Independent Television, yesterday noted that, “It is shocking and alarming that the current administration in the country claimed that Nigerians are consuming 50 million litres of fuel every day and for two years, they did it without appropriation.

    “What type of integrity are we talking about when a government claims to have been spending N2.4 bn?

    “We have a committee set up to look into it but we have always met a brick wall.

    “For two years, we made several cases to the executive that the subsidy claims must be presented for appropriation because we cannot continue to rely on the arguments by the executive was only spending money on under recovery.

    “We have set up a panel to look into it but its activities are being frustrated because we have a government where its executive does not believe that it is accountable to the National Assembly.

    “We have done our part to raise it and to do as much as possible to expose what is going on. The way subsidy is being managed now at 50million a day, is fraud. It’s not possible.”

    Marafa in an interview with reporters sharply disagreed with Saraki.

    The Zamfara Central lawmaker insisted that findings by his committee showed that Nigerians were not consuming more than 30 million of litres of fuel per day.

    He also noted that it was not possible for the country to spend up to N2.4bn ever day to subsidize fuel consumption.

    Marafa said: “It is not possible to spend N2.4bn on subsidy in Nigeria every day. Even though we don’t have the exact figure but it ranges between 25 to 35 million per day, depending on the circumstances.

    “Even if we are selling 30 million litres per day at N145 per litre, it will amount to N4.3bn. If you say that government is subsidizing by N2.4bn, are we saying that government is selling at half of the amount?

    “The landing cost of PMS (Petrol) is N180 that means government is subsidizing maximum N40 naira per litre. If you multiply that with 30 million litres, it cannot be up to N2.4bn.

    “I don’t want to join issues with the Senate President. I don’t know the particular committee he mandated to carry out his investigations but if he said so, it must be for the purpose of winning elections.

    “From the records at my disposal, Nigeria is not consuming 5o million litres per day. It is not possible. Even if the nation is paying subsidy at all, it is being taken from the running cost of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.”

  • ‘Buhari’s landslide victory will retire Atiku from politics’

    Former All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Dr. Adebayo Orire, has predicted a landslide victory for President Muhammadu Buhari in the February 16 presidential election.

    The party stalwart declared that Buhari will secure an overwhelming victory that will finally retire the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar from politics.

    Orire, in an exclusive interview with The Nation in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday, said the margin of Buhari’s victory in the forthcoming poll will be wider than that of 2015.

    He said Buhari has done enough to secure a second term in office to consolidate the achievements recorded since 2015.

    Orire, former Chairman of Ekiti State Hospitals Management Board, said Nigeria needs Buhari to continue the anti-corruption fight and integrity in governance.

    The PDP, he explained, must not be allowed to come back to power and “infect the system with the virus of corruption and bad governance.”

    According to him, Nigerians don’t want a return to the alleged misrule of the PDP having tasted good governance offered by the Buhari Presidency.

    The APC chieftain said Buhari has fulfilled his promise of fighting corruption, reviving economy and tackling insurgency.

    The Coordinator of the Orire Support Group for Buhari and Osinbajo said Atiku is no match for Buhari in terms of integrity and acceptability.

    The medical doctor-turned politician said all indices point in the direction of an overwhelming victory for the President.

    Orire noted that the social investment programmes of the Buhari Administration has improved the standard of living of the people at the grassroots and lifted the from poverty.

    Read Also: 2019: Buhari arrives Sokoto for campaign

    He identified the social investment programmes to include Trader Moni, Market Moni, School Feeding Programme, Conditional Cash Transfer to the poor, NPower for the Youth, Anchor Borrowers Scheme for farmers, among others.

    Orire said Buhari has judiciously used the nation’s funds judiciously to the benefits of the ordinary Nigerians “instead of sharing the money among the elite that characterized the PDP regime.”

    He urged the people of Ekiti State to vote massively for all APC candidates at the general elections for the party to achieve synergy in governance.

    Orire called on the party faithful in Ekiti to go to all nooks and crannies to sell Buhari to the electorate in the grassroots ahead of the general elections.

  • NAFDAC blames high drug abuse on its removal from port

    The removal of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has been blamed for high rate of drug abuse in the country.

    The Director-General of NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye said the consequences of removing the agency that ought to scrutinize illicit drug importation at the port is the high rate of drug addiction among the country youth.

    The agency was removed from the port from 2011-2018.

    Adeyeye made the disclosure during an audience with the Chairman of Presidential Advisory Committee on Elimination of Drug Abuse, Brigadier-General Buba Marwa (rtd), and other members of the committee in her office in Abuja.

    She expressed sadness that two generations of Nigerian youths are being wiped out due to drug addiction.

    According to her, “When NAFDAC was removed from the port from 2011-2018, I asked myself when you remove an agency that is supposed to oversee the importation of illicit drug in the port, then we will get our answer and part of the answer we got is the destruction of Nigerian youths, during that period. If we plot the graph NAFDAC not being at the port in 2011 -2018, we would find out that during that period when NAFDAC was not at the port, the drug addiction among our youths increased. But thank God President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018 reversed the trend by returning NAFDAC to the port and since we got there, there have been good changes”.

    Read Also: NAFDAC to destroy N198bn seized tramadol

    The NAFDAC boss therefore assured Nigerians that the agency is ready to work around the clock, in order to intercept any illegal drugs being imported into the country,  “For instance in September 2018, I got a note that 31 containers of tramadol were coming into Nigeria, I thought it was a fluke but after a thorough investigations I discovered it was true, so we started monitoring the containers and the ships, these containers were labeled bounded terminals, which means we were not supposed to have seen it at first, we were able to intercept 21 containers, and out of the 21 containers only 2 has building materials, but all of them were labeled building materials.

    “When they know that port was hot they started turning around the rest of the containers, they went to a West African country we waited for them there. That West African country took over the containers and the others started going to another West African country and our staff started tracking them online. They got to another West African country and that country sent them back to Singapore.  They are back now and we are going to impound the four containers. We are here because of our children”.

    She said all hands must be on desk to eliminate drug addiction among Nigerian youths, adding that “President Muhaamadu Buhari has taken it upon himself to eliminate drug abuse in Nigeria. We must have passion for what we are doing. I have said it many times, a country cannot be greater than its youths, and we have lost about two generations to drug addiction. We must fight for our children and for their future”.

    Earlier the Chairman of the Committee, Buba Marwa lamented the high rate of drug addiction among Nigerian youths adding that it is imperative for all stakeholders to fight the menace.

    “It is very sad that two generations of our youths are being wiped out, so we must do something urgent. And the President Muhammadu Buhari is really concern and he wants us to bring about solution to this terrible state of affairs in the country as far as drug addiction is concern”, he said.

  • APC Presidential Campaign: Birnin Kebbi agog for Buhari

    The Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport, Birnin Kebbi, was agog on Wednesday when a mammoth crowd trooped to await the arrival of President Muhammadu Buhari for his campaign in the state.

    Members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), from 21 Local Government Areas of the state and party supporters were also seen colourfully dressed to receive the President.

    The state Chairman of Buhari/Bagudu Support Organisation (BBSO), Alhaji Umar Dan- Fari, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the President’s visit was a welcome development.

    He said that the organization was at the airport to receive him because of his developmental strides in the country.

    ‘‘The President is presently in Sokoto State, we are expecting him to come to Kebbi any time from now.

    ‘‘We hope that he will come and go back peacefully as we are prayerful and optimistic of his re-emerging as our President after the 2019 general elections,” he said.

    NAN reports that among those on ground to receive the President were youths, different Buhari support organisations, women associations, NURTW and NARTO members, traders and marketers’ associations, among others.

    Similarly, the state Chairman of NURTW, Alhaji Usman Bagudu, said,” we are awaiting the arrival of our President as we want him to win his re-election in order to continue the good works he has started.”

    NAN